Dr. Smith on the Composition of Spermaceti. 313 



oleic acid or any of its compounds always furnishing by distilla- 

 tion sebacic acid, an acid soluble in water. The waterj more- 

 over, will be found to have taken up nothing, it having simply 

 acquired a slight odor, resembling that of the mass with which it 

 was digested. 



The steps taken to ascertain the nature of the products, were 

 the following. The mass obtained from the distillation was di- 

 gested with a solution of potash for an hour or two, and to this, 

 placed in a convenient vessel, was added ether, and the two agi- 

 tated together, and then allowed to repose. The ether arose to the 

 surface, containing in solution certain products ; this was drawn 

 off, and a fresh portion added, and the agitation repeated. This 

 operation was carried on until nothing remained that was soluble 

 in this menstruum. 



The ether was evaporated, and a residue obtained, consisting 

 of an oily fluid holding spermaceti in solution. The separation 

 of the oil from the spermaceti was attended with considerable 

 difficulty, but by the aid of pressure at a very low temperature, 

 and careful distillation, a small quantity of the oil was obtained 

 tolerably pure. 



0.222 gram, of the oil, burnt with the bioxide of copper, gave 

 0.688 gram, carbonic acid, and 0.282 water, and this in 100 parts 

 gives 



Carbon, . - - - 85.04 



Hydrogen, - - - - 14.12 



99.16 

 These numbers show it to be a carburetted hydrogen, compos- 

 ed of equal equivalents of carbon and hydrogen, and this, to- 

 gether with such of its physical properties as I was able to ex- 

 amine, lead me to believe it to be ceten, the carburetted hydrogen 

 already spoken of as the supposed base of athal. Considering this 

 oil to be ceten, its composition is represented by 



In 100 parts. 

 Atoms. Atomic weight. Calculated. Found. 



32 . Carbon, 194.18 85.85 85.04 



32 Hydrogen, 32.00 14.15 '14.12 



226.18 100.00 99.16 



The solution which had been treated with ether, was now 

 perfectly transparent, and contained potash in combination with 



Vol. xLiii, No. 2.— July-Sept. 1842. 40 



